Zelda's Magical Fighter Superspace Showdown
by FieryGaze
Summary: Zelda learns about friendship, fights for the heart of Link, and battles the forces of Subspace in this "magical girl" series. Updates Mondays!
1. FRESHMAN FEARS - PART 1

Zelda gazed up at the academy. It was an impressive structure; full of stately windows and lined with ivy. An intricate wrought-iron fence encircled the grounds, and a sign stood just to Zelda's left displaying the academy's name: S.S.B. Academy For Girls.

She immediately turned back around.

What was she doing here? Why had she decided to attend this school, so far away from home? She shook her head, throwing her bangs into her face. It was all useless: she wouldn't make friends, she wouldn't like the food, she wouldn't get good marks… She would call home this instant, and explain to her father that it was just implausible!

She picked up the pace, but, looking at her feet, she hadn't been paying attention to her path. She ended up bowling straight into another student, knocking them both to the payment and scattering Zelda's books everywhere.

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, almost in tears. "I wasn't watching where I was going, it was my fault, I'm sorry!"

"Hey, calm down," said the girl Zelda had crashed into, rubbing her head and looking bemused. She wore the S.S.B. Uniform, like Zelda, though she was clearly in a higher year. "Are you lost, or something?"

"W-well, I've changed my mind, I don't think I'm going to school after all," Zelda explained in a panic, but the older girl only laughed.

"Oh, it's just nerves. The place is like a battlefield at first, but you'll get used to it." She handed Zelda one of her books and helped her to her feet. "Hey, the name's Samus Aran. I can show you around, if you like."

"Th-…That would be great!" Zelda replied, amazed, almost grateful enough to consider rethinking her decision. Samus appeared to be in her final year, tall, with bright blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had the look of an athlete about her-and the look of someone comfortable with the school, maybe even popular, in the way she walked and looked around. Zelda found it surprising that she would condescend to help out a clueless freshman.

"Well, where's your first class, then?" Samus asked. She looked distracted, though, scanning the schoolyard overtop Zelda's head.

"U-um…" Zelda dug her schedule out from one of her textbooks. "It says my homeroom is with Mr. McCloud."

"Oh, he's a nice enough guy. His room is near the other end of the building though, I'll walk you there-AAGH!"

Zelda jumped like a bunny at the sudden noise. Another girl wearing as many pink accessories as possible had appeared from nowhere, half-tackling Samus in an enthusiastic hug.

"Sammy! My dear sister, we are reunited!" the girl exclaimed, ignoring the looks they were drawing across campus.

"Yes, yes." Samus patted the girl's hair distractedly, still looking around the school area. "It's only been a week, Peach."

Peach pulled away after a moment, clearing her throat and smoothing her skirt. "Ah, right, well, it's amazing to see you! And who is your friend?" she peered at Zelda and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Freshman. Poor thing looked like she was about to run back into the street rather than try and find her classroom," Samus chuckled, making Zelda blush. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name?"

"It's Zelda," Zelda murmured.

"What a precious name!" Peach exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Her nails were painted a blinding shade of pink, accentuating the pink blush on her cheeks, pink earrings, and pink hair accessories. It was, to be honest, mildly worrisome. "Welcome to S.S.B., Zelda! My name is Peach Keen, I am a second year! Sammy showed me around when I first arrived, too-we've been inseparable ever since."

"That's really nice," Zelda said, perhaps a tad too earnestly. This was her chance to make friends! It could be her only chance, like finding precious water in a desert: provided friendship was the oasis and it was found in the arid wastelands of the educational system.

"Zelda has got McCloud," Samus said. "I was going to show her over."

"Oh, yes, brilliant idea!" Peach exclaimed. The bell went off in the distance, and the campus began to empty of girls. "We'd better hurry if we want to make it on time."

The three girls began walking towards the building, but Zelda hadn't taken more than a couple of steps before she was forced to stop. An incredibly strange feeling had overcome her-a feeling that felt somehow _red_, a bright colour that warned of danger. She was overcome with the intense feeling that something was… behind her?

To her surprise, she noticed that Samus and Peach had also stopped walking to glance behind them.

"Um, did you guys…?" Zelda started to ask, but was quickly cut off by Samus.

"Zelda, you'll have to make do without us. McCloud's room is at the far end of the building, room M-42. Hurry on, you'll miss class."

"What…?" Zelda asked, confused and hurt. Her new friends were... abandoning her? What on earth had that _red_ feeling been about? She looked to Peach for help.

"Please, hurry," Peach said, shooing her away. Samus was striding in the other direction, her hand at a piece of jewellery around her neck.

"I… um, okay," Zelda gave in, turning and hurrying toward the building, hiding tears. It was okay! She'd find more friends! It wasn't a big deal, her grandfather always said she was an amiable sort, surely she'd manage to meet more people...

She reached the doors, but something made her stop and turn back. Perhaps she wanted one last glance back to tell herself that her two new friends weren't really leaving her to the wolves.

What she saw astounded her.

There was something…_ in_ the schoolyard! It hadn't been there moments ago, it had just appeared, and was headed right for Samus and Peach. It looked like… like a ghost, only half-visible, and was trailing little balls of shadow. It was pitch-black and translucent, like shade. The ghost made a throaty chattering noise and, waving its arms, sent more of the crawly little shadow balls flying into the air.

Frozen in fear, Zelda could only watch as the ghost stomped toward Samus and Peach, its thick feet throwing up dust. The two girls stood firm, though, apparently unfazed. They even appeared to be… joking with one another? What was going on!?

Both girls suddenly rose into the air and, amid a whirl of light, transformed.

Samus now wore a kind of hybrid of dress and body armour, with thick, round shoulders and a mechanical cannon on her arm. Still floating and with wisps of light trailing from her, she aimed her cannon and loosed a quick shot. It hit the ghost right in the face, causing it to stumble back.

Peach was enveloped in a pink princess dress, complete with frills and elbow-length white gloves. She clutched a weapon, an ornate-looking piece with a long handle and flat, circular top… It reminded Zelda most of a frying pan, to be honest.

Peach seemed to skate on strands of light right up next to the ghost, then promptly gave it a hard smack to the legs with her weapon.

The ghost fell to earth with a cry, and Samus ran in, finishing it off with several more shots from her arm cannon. The ghost and its accompanying shadow balls dissolved into a sparkling cloud, which soon dissipated completely. Samus and Peach were left standing alone, wearing very fancy clothes, in the middle of the school field.

Samus knelt and picked up some object lying where the ghost had died, then spoke to Peach about it.

Zelda's legs seemed to move without her knowledge at first, but soon enough she was running with full intent toward the two girls. Their special clothes disappeared in flashes of light, returning to their plan S.S.B. uniforms.

The second bell rang, and Peach looked up, concerned, as Zelda approached. "Oh, no, now you'll be late! Why are you still here?"

Zelda tried to get her thoughts in order, at first only able to stare at the two older girls. Samus opened up what appeared to be a locket she was wearing around her neck and placed whatever she had found on the ground inside.

"That was… you two fought a ghost!" she exclaimed.

Peach and Samus exchanged a very concerned look. "You… you could see the shade?" Peach asked.


	2. FRESHMAN FEARS - PART 2

Assuring Zelda that they would explain everything later, Peach and Samus quickly escorted her to her classroom and left, despite her protests. Sure, they were all going to be late for class, but who cared!? They'd been fighting ghosts, for heaven's sake. How was Zelda meant to focus now?

Samus walked into Zelda's homeroom with her, giving the teacher something of a salute. "Hey, Mr. McCloud. Please excuse this one, she couldn't find her class."

"It's fine, I know how the first day is," Mr. McCloud said, waving a hand dismissively. "Take a seat wherever you please."

Zelda cast a mournful look after Samus, but the older girl had disappeared. With a sigh, Zelda sat herself in a desk near the front of the room; one of the only seats still empty.

…_Can't even find her way around the school, _someone whispered from the back of the room among the general murmurs, and Zelda blushed furiously. She covertly glanced back and was immediately able to pinpoint who had spoken. A dark-eyed, sharp faced girl sat at the very back of the room, eyes ringed with thick eyeliner and neck adorned with a cobalt choker. She glared back at Zelda and Zelda quickly turned back around, trembling.

"Hey, don't mind her," the girl sitting next to Zelda said, offering her a smile. "I got lost too; I was lucky enough to find a teacher who pointed me in the right direction."

Zelda smiled weakly. "Y-yeah, it's a big school."

"I'm Nina, Nina Climber," said the girl. She was rather plump and small, with a smile that lit up her entire face. "Nice to meet you!"

"My name is Zelda," Zelda replied, surprised she'd found another friendly person so quickly. Maybe this school wouldn't be so bad after all.

"All right, class," Mr. McCloud said at a moderate volume, quieting the hushed conversations. "Welcome to S.S.B. Academy. Some of you might ask what the "S.S.B." stands for, but I can't tell you. Really, we don't know. The administration doesn't know. It's all a mess."

McCloud proceeded to give them a brief overview of the school's history, history apparently being his field. He finished off the period by saying, "And girls, I feel I should warn you not to mention my name to Mr. Lombardi, our engineering teacher. He seems to think we are in some kind of competition."

"Uh… What do you mean by competition, sir?" Nina asked.

"Oh, you know… whose class gets better grades… various pranks… robot battles… things like that. He might forget this year, if none of you mention it to him." Mr. McCloud gave them a rather intent look. He had a fox-like face, narrow and fierce, and the look was enough to elicit complete obedience from Zelda, for one.

The bell rang before anyone could respond, and he gave a vague waving motion. "Well, off to your next classes, then. Have fun."

Zelda stood to go, but the girl with eyeliner, the one who had whispered about her before, brushed past her desk, giving her a look. Another girl walked along at her side, plump and round with a flower in her hair.

"Can you believe this school, Lu?" the round girl said cheerfully. "So many dumb people! I hardly know what to do with myself."

"I agree," Lu said, looking pointedly at Zelda, and then continued on and out of the room.

Nina had gone pale as Lu approached, but was now quite manic. "Wow! What on earth have you done to make her dislike you _already_?" she exclaimed as they exited Mr. McCloud's room.

"I… I don't know! This is the first time I've seen her," Zelda exclaimed helplessly, wringing her hands. "Who is she, anyway?"

"LuLu Carioh, menace of ages," Nina said, wiggling her fingers to emphasize the mystery. "We went to the same middle school, actually. She's basically a bully." Nina leaned forward conspiratorially. "The rumour is she once broke a guy's arm for flirting with her. The other girl with her was Jen Puff, and she's no pushover, either. We'd best stay clear of them."

"Y-yeah," Zelda agreed, wondering how this one girl in eyeliner was somehow scarier to her than the ghost she'd seen before class.

The two girls compared schedules and discovered to their joy that they had another class together, English. It was predictably boring. Zelda tapped her foot throughout the entire lesson, up and until it was time for lunch. She stood straight up as soon as the bell rang. Now, to find Samus and Peach, and question them about the ghost!

But Zelda had almost forgotten about Nina. She wasn't about to abandon the other girl to wander lost in the cafeteria, so the two girls walked down together. It didn't take Zelda long to spot Samus and Peach, chatting at a table to themselves, and she immediately dragged Nina over to sit with them.

"Hi, Zelda!" Peach said, cheerful as ever. Samus had a bit of a worried look on her face, but had no objections as the two freshman sat across from them.

"Hi!" said Zelda. "Um, this is Nina. Nina, this is Peach and this is Samus."

"Pleased to meet you," Peach exclaimed, and Samus nodded. Zelda thought frantically, trying to come up with some way to ask about the ghost, even though Nina would probably think they were crazy. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Samus waved her off.

"Zelda, you'll have to come find me and Peach after school," she said. "We can give you that thing we were talking about earlier."

"The-? Oh! Okay." Zelda announced, a little disappointed. She had to survive the rest of the school day before she could find out about all of this…

A sinister presence appeared at her shoulder as she sulked and Zelda jumped with an involuntary squeak. Lu Carioh leaned over and said, "Oh, it figures you know each other."

Peach winced, but Samus hardly looked up. "Have you really got nothing better to do than follow some freshmen around, LuLu? Oh, silly me, I almost forgot that you were a freshie, too."

"Shut your mouth, blondie," Jen Puff said from behind Lu, smiling widely. "I just might have to beat you up again,"

"Oh, is that what happened?" Samus glanced up. "It think someone might have a bad memory. Shall I jog it for you?"

"There's no need to fight here," said a third voice, and Zelda tentatively looked up to observe the third member of Lu's crew, a slender girl with short, brown-blonde hair. "Lu, it's pointless to banter with them. Only the shades matter."

With that cryptic comment, the three of them turned and stalked off to find a table. Zelda had a brief mental vision of the trio wearing pilot shades. What on earth were they talking about?

The four remaining girls had a nice enough lunch, though Zelda was burning with questions the entire time. She was able to sneak a look at Samus' necklace, the one she had apparently used to fight the ghost. It was spherical and had a rainbow kind of sheen, but it was hard to see anything beyond that, as Samus typically kept it tucked inside her shirt.

The rest of the day passed excruciatingly slowly, but finally, the final bell rang. Zelda bid a hasty farewell to Nina and all but ran from the school, searching for Samus and Peach. They were loitering in the front of the building, waiting for her.

Zelda hurried up and skidded to a stop in front of them, breathing heavily. "I can't believe you two! Making me wait all day to ask! How was I supposed to focus on my classes?"

Samus only chuckled, but Peach looked remorseful. "Oh, I'm sorry about that, it's just that we were going to be late!" Peach apologized. "I know, it was mean of us. We weren't sure quite what to do, you understand. I mean… it takes a special person to be able to see the Shades."

"Is that what you fought? A Shade?" Zelda asked, tempted to whip out a notebook and start taking notes.

"Yes. Let's head somewhere quieter," Samus suggested, steering the group to a more secluded area of campus. "What you saw was a Shade from a plane known as Subspace. Creatures from Subspace break into our world at certain places with a lot of negative emotions. In this case, I imagine it was all the negative emotions of fear and anxiety from the new students that attracted the Shade."

"Good thing we were there to stop it," Peach said, winking. "Sammy and I are Magical Fighters: it's our job to stop Shades. There are a ton of different types of Fighters, too! She's a Hunter, I'm a Princess. We use the power of positivity, or Superspace, to send Shades back to where they came from! If we don't stop them in time, Shades start to prey on people-their emotions, to be specific."

"You just said that people couldn't see Shades," Zelda interjected. "So, how...?

"Well, most people can't. Not unless they're a Magical Fighter," Peach explained. "People can't see Shades, but they can still have their emotions eaten. That's why it's important to top them as soon as possible."

"Th-then… One second," Zelda said, looking from Samus to Peach in a panic. "I was able to see that Shade. What does that mean?"

"Well," Samus began, but Peach interrupted her.

"It means you're a Magical Fighter! Your powers just haven't awakened yet," Peach said with enthusiasm, clutching Zelda's hand. "You're starting to see the Shades, so it won't be long now. We found you in the nick of time!"

"W-wait… you expect me to fight ghosts?" Zelda exclaimed, retrieving her hand and hugging her books to her chest. "That's crazy! I mean, I don't know how to fight at all!"

"It's okay, your powers will help you out," Peach insisted. "I'm not really much of a combat person myself, but once I have my weapon-"

Suddenly, the _red_ feeling was back, but stronger. Peach and Samus looked up as one, and Samus reached for her necklace.

"A Shade?" Zelda asked.

Her question was soon answered as an enormous, transparent beast appeared in the near distance, charging toward them on all fours. It skidded to a stop near the edge of campus and let out a roaring shriek, spraying balls of shadow in all directions.

"A strong one," Samus said. Light enveloped her for a moment and, when it retreated, she was again wearing her Fighter clothes. "Zelda, you're going to have to stay hidden. You can't fight yet, but the Shade will still recognize you as a Magical Fighter. This one is going to take everything Peach and I can throw at it."

Peach transformed as well, sparkles trailing from her enormous weapon. "Well, he doesn't look so tough," she giggled, taking a gigantic leap toward the monster, jumping much further than an ordinary person, as if lifted on the air.

"Hide," Samus commanded Zelda one last time, before she too hurried toward the Shade.

Zelda obeyed, ducking behind a few nearby trees. From her hiding place, she watched Samus and Peach zoom toward the Shade, weapons at the ready. Samus fired a few shots, but they fell short of hitting the bull-like Shade, which tossed its head and chattered angrily.

There was another flash of light, but it didn't come from Peach or Samus. Zelda squinted after its source, then gasped.

Three more Magical Fighters had appeared on the field, and she recognized them all. Lu, Puff, and their third friend, all armed and bedecked in Magical Fighter garb.

What was happening!?


	3. ZELDA TAKES ON THE SHADE - PART 1

**MAGICAL FIGHTER ZELDA TAKES ON THE SHADE! - PART 1**

_On the last episode, Zelda arrived at her new school incredibly nervous! She was lucky enough to meet two new friends, but was unlucky enough to make a few enemies as well. She's learned that her two new friends-Samus Aran and Peach Keen-are in fact Magical Fighters, chosen to protect the world from the emotion-devouring ghosts known as Shades! Not only that, but Zelda is destined to become a Magical Fighter as well! However, it seems that those three aren't the only Magical Fighters at S.S.B. Academy…_

Lu floated to the ground and landed, poised, on the tips of her boots. Her Magical Fighter outfit was dark blue and black, with a corset and fluffy miniskirt. Puff and the other girl dropped down on her either side. The new girl's dress was white and flowing, and Puff's looked similar to a ballerina's costume.

"All right, girls. Let's take it down!" Lu cried, dashing forward with incredible speed. Blue light trailed from her boots as she ran, and began to coalesce between her hands as she held them to the side. A large, blue ball of energy soon formed between her palms, and she released it. It soared straight into the Shade, narrowly missing Peach as she floated down to earth.

"Watch where you're shooting!" Samus yelled, closely harried by the Shade's tossing head and scattering shadow balls.

"Then get out of our way!" The girl in white raised her weapon, a large, ornate bow, and began firing arrows of light at the Shade. Peach leapt out of the way, dress flapping. The Shade shook off the attacks and bellowed, barrelling toward the three newcomers with its head low.

"Jen!" Lu called, dashing out of the way.

"Right behind you!" Jen Puff grinned, thumping to the ground directly in front of the charging Shade. Zelda watched in horror, but Jen raised her weapon-an enormous, pink hammer-and stopped the Shade in its tracks with an enormously powerful smack to the chin.

The Shade stumbled off, stunned, and Samus and Peach jumped back to face off with Lu.

"What do you think you're doing?" Samus demanded.

"What does it look like? We're taking care of the Shade, and we're clearly doing it better than you," Lu scoffed, casually tossing and catching a ball of blue energy in her palm. "Just leave this to the professionals."

"Look, if you let it get away…" Samus gesticulated angrily. "Just let us help you, okay? I mean, with all of us working together-"

"In your dreams, grandma," Lu said with an acidic smile.

"Oh, you did not," Samus exclaimed, but their banter was cut short when the Shade let loose with another roar. It had recovered from its beating and turned back to face the group of Magical Fighters, the little shadow balls swarming all over its body, erasing the wounds beneath.

"Looks like a healer," the girl in white cautioned.

"I can see that, Illia," Lu snapped, preparing another energy ball. "Look, we'll have to take it out fast and strong. I can count on you two to back me up, right?"

"Of course," Illia said, and Puff heaved her hammer up to rest across her shoulder, grinning.

"That won't work!" Samus called, but the three girls were oblivious. They leapt into action, light trailing from their clothes and weapons. Illia laid into the Shade with her bow, disorienting it. This allowed Lu to run in close, sinking sphere after sphere of light into its head and legs. As soon as it stumbled, Puff's hammer caught it in a brutal uppercut, sending sharp teeth flying.

The Shade hit the ground and was motionless for a few moments, but did not dissolve. Shadow balls quickly covered it, and before long it had been healed again. The Shade got back to its feet and scuffed at the ground, as if it were about to charge.

The Magical Fighters on the field got ready, but the Shade turned on its heels and fled.

"No. Get back here, coward!" Lu cried, charging after it. The Shade burst into a swarm of shadow balls, which flew, swift as the wind, out into the city. Lu slowed, then angrily kicked at the earth.

"Jen, you didn't hit it hard enough!" Lu complained.

Samus strode over to her. "Do you know what you've done!?"

"Yes, I've missed out on a perfectly good Trophy, and it's all your fault," Lu said, rounding on her. "If you hadn't been here to distract us-"

"Are you joking?" Samus growled. "I've been doing this far longer than you have, LuLu. You don't kill a healer just by laying into it with everything you've got. There's a strategy."

"Well, whatever," Lu snapped. Her Magical Fighter garb disappeared in an instant, and her girls came up behind her, also restored to normal. "Now no one's going to get the Trophy, so who really cares?"

Samus' hand went to her temple. "This is not about Trophies. This is about loosing a Shade on a city. A Shade like that could devour plenty of emotions."

"Not ours," Lu shrugged. "If it tried, we'd sense it and snatch its Trophy. And next time, we will: so stay out of our way." She flounced away, flanked by her two groupies. Puff flashed them a malicious smile as she went off.

Samus let out a shaky breath, fists clenched tight.

"Hitting them won't solve any of your problems," Peach reminded her lightly, her Fighter garb disappearing. Zelda hurried over to the two, still watching the area where the shade had flown off to. There was no further sign of it.

"I know," Samus said darkly, returning to her normal appearance. "They're just so reckless. They're only in it for the Trophies. It's beyond me how people like them get chosen to be Magical Fighters."

"Y-you guys knew they were Magical Fighters, too?" Zelda squeaked as she approached.

"Yeah. They've been a thorn in our side for months," Samus frowned, staring after them. "Like we mentioned earlier, Peach and I do our best to protect the city from any Shades that come here. When you defeat a Shade, it leaves behind a bit of its power: in the form of a little medallion called a Trophy." Samus reached inside her locket and pulled out a small, flat disk of gold as an example. Several more rattled around in the locket. "Once you collect enough of these, it's possible to upgrade your own abilities as a Magical Fighter."

"Samus has already had an upgrade," Peach said with a wink. "You'll notice her outfit is fancier and her attacks are a lot stronger than mine, and that's why."

"I hadn't really noticed that," Zelda smiled, then went silent as she remembered the Shade. "So now that thing is going to go around and eat emotions in the city?"

Samus crossed her arms. "We won't be able to find it until it manifests again, and that can take ages. You're never supposed to let Shades get away." She glared after Lu's group and the trio of girls stood there in silence.

"Well, we're very sorry to keep you here for this," Peach said after awhile, laying a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I realize it's all so new and scary-school and Shades! You'll grow used to it all eventually. We'll… see you tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah," Zelda agreed. "I'd better get home. Bye, you two…"

Peach waved, but Samus only grunted, staring with narrowed eyes at the street where the Shade had disappeared. Zelda hurried silently off campus, eyes on the sidewalk. She hardly knew what to think anymore! From the way Samus acted, it seemed like being a Magical Fighter was a huge responsibility. Zelda wasn't sure she'd be able to live up to that, if she even did have Magical Fighter powers…

She smacked into someone and ended up on the concrete, scratching her knee. "Oh, no, not again! I'm so sorry!" she cried, cursing herself for her stupidity. Could she not go one day without smashing into everyone on the street?

"No, I'm sorry, too! Are you all right?"

For some reason, at the voice, Zelda's heart caught in her throat and it was all she could do to look up. She'd somehow managed to crash into a young man about her age-one who was particularly good-looking, with blonde hair in just the right amount of a mess; concerned blue eyes below arched eyebrows.

"I…!" Zelda exclaimed, already blushing. "N-no, I'm okay…"

"Ah, but you've scratched your knee," said the boy mournfully. "Here, at least let me grab your books. It's the least I can do." He quickly swept up her scattered books and handed them to her, then pulled her to her feet. "Really, I'm quite sorry."

Zelda blanched, suddenly noticing what he was wearing. An S.S.B. uniform? "You go to the boys' Academy!"

"And you to the girls'!" the boy said with almost equal enthusiasm, causing Zelda to blush more fiercely. "My name is Link, pleased to meet you."

"Z-Zelda," Zelda replied. "U-um, thank you. For helping me up, and with the books, I mean…"

"No problem," he said with a positively heart-melting smile, cocking his head slightly. "See you around, Zelda!"

He walked off in the other direction and Zelda struggled not to fall over. Every negative thought she'd had about the day, she now disregarded. New friends, new adventures, and an incredibly cute boy at the same school as her?

She was officially sold on S.S.B.


	4. ZELDA TAKES ON THE SHADE - PART 2

**MAGICAL FIGHTER ZELDA TAKES ON THE SHADE!: PART 2**

"Zelda! Time to wake up!"

Zelda moaned, burrowing deeper into her bed. It was warm in there, and comfy. And not school.

She heard the muffled sound of someone clomping up the stairs, then opening her door. "Zelda, is it really necessary to make me do this every morning?" her grandfather asked wearily.

Zelda did not reply, but attempted to curl into a tighter ball beneath her covers.

"Very well," her grandfather sighed, moving to the window. He threw open the blinds and bathed the entire room in blinding light, causing Zelda to shriek and fall to the floor as if thrown.

Her grandfather rolled his eyes. "So overdramatic. Breakfast is on the table, assuming you can get down in time to eat it and get to school."

"What time izzit?" Zelda muttered, cracking open one eye to look at the clock. She immediately leapt to her feet. "Seven o'clock!? Grandpa, I'm going to be late!"

Her Grandfather was already headed back downstairs, apparently unfazed by the concept. "It's my second day!" Zelda lamented, then ran for her dresser.

She arrived at school minutes before the first bell, a slice of toast still hanging out of her mouth. Devouring it as quickly as she could so as not to look unprepared, she located Nina and sidled up to her.

"Running late?" Nina asked wryly.

"Uh, no, of course not," Zelda said, wiping her face free of crumbs. "Just, you know, wanted to arrive just in the nick of time, like the cool rebel teenager I am."

"Uh-huh," Nina nodded sagely. "Well, if you're not too cool for little old me, would you be interested in heading for the mall after school? I've been itching to do some shopping!"

"Oh… yeah, that would be fun!" Zelda exclaimed, trying not to get too flustered. Some part of her was like a predator whenever potential friends arose, hunting even the smallest morsel of approval. That oasis in the desert metaphor again. This time, she decided, she would be different. "I-I'm kind of new to this city, so I'd appreciate being shown around."

Nina grinned. "I've lived here all my life, so I will have plenty to tell you." The bell rang. "Well, let's not be late again and face Lu Carioh's disapproval." She grimaced.

The day passed quite normally, though at lunch, Samus was absent from the table. Peach laughed it off and said something about her going off on a brief vacation, but Zelda could tell she was worried. Nina invited Peach along to the mall as well, but the Princess quickly explained that she had a prior engagement, though she was appreciative of the gesture.

Zelda tried to put her own worries about Samus behind her as she and Nina started out after school, headed for the local mall. Zelda didn't have much money on hand, but it was enough to purchase a smoothie from a vendor and then follow Nina around, who seemed absolutely smitten with the prospect of shopping. Nina turned out to be quite a fashionista, plucking out outfit after outfit and examining them with a critical eye. She even managed to locate a few clothes that Zelda would have loved to buy, had she enough cash. She'd have to bug her grandfather later.

Nina was also true to her word and showed Zelda around the nearby parts of the city, keeping up a running commentary as they went. Zelda found that she really enjoyed the other girl's company, and soon the two were joking and laughing like old friends. They only parted when the sky began to darken, and Zelda started to panic about what her grandfather would think.

The two girls hugged and split up, as Nina's apartment was in the opposite direction. Zelda found herself feeling quite peaceful and happy, when she was suddenly forced to stop in her tracks by a powerful _red_ warning.

Oh, no. Not here, when she was alone. A Shade? Zelda turned fearfully, sensing that the Shade was close. There, in an alleyway. A whirl of shadow balls was forming, creating a shaggy body, short legs, powerful ram horns on its head. The Shade that had escaped the day before.

It scuffed at the ground. Zelda backed up, hoping to escape its notice. No such luck. Red eyes gleamed as they locked on to her, and then the beast chattered angrily and charged right for her.

At the sight, something inside Zelda snapped. Though she hardly knew what she was doing, she jumped straight into the air. Something, some kind of power, lifted her step, made her lighter than air, and she easily soared over the charging Shade and landed behind it. She extended her hand. A tiny, purple gemstone appeared just above it, drifting down to rest in her palm.

The Shade managed to turn itself around, giving a frustrated roar. It had a Magical Fighter in its sights now, and it was not about to stop for anything.

Zelda squeezed the gemstone in her hand, then lifted it to her opposite shoulder. The gemstone expanded and shifted, forming a golden harp that she held at rest against her left arm, her right hand ready at the strings.

Light surrounded her and whisked away her clothes, leaving her naked for only the briefest of seconds before swiftly replacing them. A white, floor-length skirt appeared, accentuated with purple and gold. High-heeled boots popped into existence underneath, perfectly fitted to Zelda's size. Above the skirt, the dress completed with a purple, sleeveless piece, and light plates of golden armour adorned her shoulders. Even her hair changed, suddenly bound in two strands that fell along her shoulders, with the rest flowing along her back, also bound at the end.

Somehow, it all felt right. As the Shade charged towards her, Zelda lifted her harp and plucked the first string.

A jagged vibration blossomed out from the harp, shaking stones loose from buildings and causing the Shade to trip. As it stumbled back to its feet, Zelda tried out the second string. A similar vibration occurred, this one concentrated like a funnel, and it only hit the Shade, disorienting it even further. Shadow balls began to fall off of the creature and dissolve.

"What was it Samus said," Zelda muttered to herself, leaping to the side so as to be a less stationary target. "You won't defeat it just by taking it head-on. So what am I meant to do…?"

She tried plucking the third string, and this time the vibrations solidified into a barrier around her, startling her enough to make her squeak. All right, good to know she was able to do that.

The fourth string buzzed powerfully without any apparent effect, and the rest simply made notes like a regular harp. Zelda danced back uncertainly as the Shade healed its wounds and turned to face her.

"All right. Um… die!" She cried, then strummed every string. The power of the vibrations doubled, sending the Shade sliding back, and creating a barrier around Zelda at the same time. The Shade recovered quickly, and Zelda leapt toward it, continuously plucking the second string. The force of vibration around the Shade was causing its healing shadow balls to dissolve more quickly than they could be generated.

In the end, even though she could stop it from healing, her harp just wasn't powerful enough to severely hurt it. Soon the Shade was learning her attack patterns, running to the side instead of straight at her. Zelda started to panic. She wasn't able to do this…! The Shade would get away, and feed on more emotions! That couldn't be allowed to happen!

"Incoming!" someone shrieked, and suddenly the Shade was being shot from the other direction. Yet another Fighter landed nearby, smacking the Shade directly in the face with her weapon.

Samus and Peach had arrived.

Samus darted around, harrying the Shade, and Peach jumped back to stand next to Zelda. "Hey, wow, I love your outfit!" Peach exclaimed. "Perfect for kicking Shade butt!"

"What…? How did you two…?"

"Samus was out looking for the Shade all day, anyway," Peach laughed. "I joined her after school was done. Imagine our surprise when we finally find it-only to have you fighting it off by yourself!"

"I'm surprised about it too!" Zelda cried.

"Zelda! Keep attacking it!" Samus called as the Shade began to recover. "You kill a healer by first killing its shadow bugs, so that it can't heal. Your weapon's perfect for that!"

"Right!" Zelda called and resumed beating down the Shade with sound waves from her harp. Peach flashed her one last smile and then leapt over to help Samus, smacking shadow bugs left and right like baseballs. Soon enough the Shade was completely without, and all three girls leapt forward at once to deal the finishing blow.

The Shade dissolved immediately, shadowy globs fading into pale sparkles. A tiny golden disk fell to the pavement and spun there like a coin for a moment before settling with a _clink_.

"All right!" Peach exclaimed, sharing high fives. "We've done it! We make a great team, don't we?"

"I'd say," Samus said, stooping to pick up the Trophy. She examined it for a moment before offering it to Zelda. "Well, Zelda, Peach and I would never have even found the thing if it wasn't for you. I think its Trophy belongs to you-provided you'd like to be a Magical Fighter with us, that is."

"I…um…" Zelda tentatively took the Trophy and held it to the light. It didn't look like much, but just like she could sense it in red when Shades approached, she could feel the warm yellow glow of the Trophy on her mind.

"We'll teach you, of course," Peach said earnestly. "I mean, no one just picks this stuff up right off the bat. You'll be the third member of our team." She giggled. "Now we're an even match for LuLu's crew, right, Samus?"

"As if we weren't already more than equal to them," Samus rolled her eyes, but offered a smile to Zelda. "Well? Fancy joining the club?"

"Y-yeah! Of course!" Zelda exclaimed. It was scary, sure, but the Shades needed to be fought-and she felt good doing it: powerful; in control. She was ready to face any challenges that might come along with her decision.

"Hmm… looks like we've got an audience," Samus said, gesturing upwards. Zelda turned and followed her gaze, to find three figures standing atop a nearby rooftop, looking down on them.

Lu stood at the front, as usual. She jabbed two fingers in Zelda, Samus, and Peach's direction, her meaning clear: I'm watching you. With that, the team whirled and departed, leaping over rooftops.

"Well, never mind them," Peach said cheerfully. "It's not like they could ever compare to a team like this." Her Princess garb disappeared in a flash of light. "Hey, Samus, what type of Magical Fighter do you suppose Zelda is? I've never seen a musical instrument used as a weapon."

"Hmm," Samus murmured, circling Zelda as Samus' own outfit disappeared, replaced with a casual sweater and jeans. "Well, the outfit almost suggests she's another Princess, but obviously her attacks are long-range, so that can't be the case." She snapped her fingers. "Aha! You're the type of Magical Fighter called a Composer. Pretty rare, that one."

Zelda was able to return to her school uniform easily, and her harp disappeared entirely. There was a new ring on her finger, silver with a purple stone.

"That's your Magical Fighter weapon when it's on standby," Samus said, gesturing to her necklace. "This is mine."

"And mine," Peach said, tapping a pink hairclip. "Next time you need to transform, just concentrate on your ring and you'll be able to change. Then we can all take on the Shades together!"

Peach pulled them both into a group hug, grinning. "I just know we're going to be the best team of Magical Fighters ever!"


	5. AN AIR OF COMPETITION - PART 1

**AN AIR OF COMPETITION: PART 1**

_On the last episode, Zelda awakened to her powers as a Magical Fighter! She's now a Composer, and can fight using her magical harp to create attacks and shields using vibrations in the air. Last week, Zelda met a boy named Link who attends the boys' Academy opposite the girls'. They seemed to hit it off rather well! Zelda's been wondering if she'll see him again…_

That saturday was bright and sunny, a callback to summer though the season was early fall. Though the midafternoon heat threatened, a cool breeze kept it at bay. It was the perfect day for a picnic-and just so happened to be the day of the S.S.B. Academy Welcome Barbecue, a tradition for the school.

Zelda hadn't planned to go, scared as usual of being alone. Peach, though, had been enthusiastic about the barbecue, insisting that it was important that Zelda went and that she would come along herself. Samus was reportedly going as well, but it was Nina who showed up bright and early at Zelda's door, decked out in a patterned sundress.

"You ready?" she asked cheerfully.

"Um... yes," Zelda announced, hoping her nervousness didn't show through. "Completely prepared. How do I look?"

"I like the tank top," Nina chuckled, "but you sound like you're going into a war zone! This is a barbecue for freshmen, Zelda, it's not exactly terrifying stuff."

"I'm just a little nervous!" Zelda squeaked in protest, closing the door behind her and heading after Nina. "I mean... so many people... and I only know you, Peach, and Samus."

"It's a good opportunity to meet more," Nina commented.

"Y-yeah. Okay."

It was obvious from afar that there was an event at the school, and Zelda was amazed as they approached. This seemed less like a welcome barbecue and more like a fun fair. There were little booths set up all over the fields, and cleared areas where hula hoops and dodgeballs lay in wait for games.

"Wow," Zelda murmured. "It's really... elaborate."

"Zelda! Nina!" Peach's voice carried distinctly over the field and was followed shortly by Peach herself, running toward them in the daintiest way possible. Samus was strolling along behind her, but was not immediately visible due to the sheer amount of pink that preceded her.

"I'm so glad you two could make it!" Peach exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "This is going to be a lot of fun!"

Nina giggled. "Peach, I thought you were a second year! Why are you even here?"

"Truly?" Peach laid a hand against her forehead dramatically. "It's the atmosphere. The food. The... I just wanted to come, okay? You two gave me a decent excuse! And I couldn't very well leave Sammy at home while we were out here having fun."

The aforementioned Sammy nodded. "Well, I offered to help out with some of the events they're holding. I swear, these things get more elaborate every year."

"I've no complaints about that," Peach giggled, then turned and grasped Zelda and Nina by the wrists. "Come on! Let's go check it out."

Peach dragged them around until they'd seen what the barbecue had to offer: some homemade fair games, a few food stands, and a bake sale were among the attractions. Things were just getting started and freshmen were pouring in, so Peach ducked into the bake sale tent to buy some goodies before the crowd got there. Samus waved and headed off to her post, where she was apparently talking to freshmen about what S.S.B. had to offer.

Zelda was loitering by the entrance of the bake sale tent when she saw him.

Link! She half-ducked behind the tent so that he wouldn't notice her watching. Nina gave her a strange look, but Zelda only had room in her mind for one person, and he was over by the dodgeball event, directing a few freshmen around.

Peach emerged with a bag of cookies. "Well, I have to say, had _I_ been in charge of the bake sale, I might have gone about it a bit differently. These cookies, however, still look delicious." she paused. "Zelda, dear, what are you doing?"

"Nothing!" Zelda exclaimed. "Come on, let's go this way for a second!"

Nina and Peach exchanged shrugs, then followed Zelda as she headed toward the event where Link was working. As they approached, Zelda carefully fell back so that both Peach and Nina were in front of her.

Nina seemed to have given up trying to figure out her strange behaviour, but Peach had a suspicious look on her face. She followed Zelda's gaze across the field, then slowly turned back with her mouth in a perfect _O_ of surprise.

"Link Ordona! Oh, Zelda, you'll have your hands full with that one!"

Zelda blanched, blush rising in her cheeks. "Wh-what? How did you... there are plenty of people over there! I didn't even _say_ anything!"

"The behaviour is quite obvious, when you know what to look for," Peach giggled. "Why don't you go over there and talk to him! You could offer him a cookie," she waved the bag at Zelda.

"I..." before she could even consider it, someone else walked up to Link and engaged him in conversation. Zelda stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, and something else you may want to know," Peach said casually, "Illia has been after him all summer."

Zelda _really _shouldn't have been surprised (_he's attractive, he's a second year, he must have girls following him around everywhere_) but the revelation still hurt, somehow. It wasn't as if she were entitled to his attention; they'd only bumped into each other once. He'd surely have acted as nicely toward any person who'd walked into him. She was nothing special.

Zelda felt that acutely as she watched Illia chat him up, her short hair in an elegant curl and the white blouse she was wearing seeming so much nicer than the tank top with the three-triangle symbol on it that Zelda had on. Of all people, why did it have to be one of Lulu's cronies?

The expression on her face must have been heartbreaking, because both Nina and Peach immediately enveloped her in a hug.

"Oh! No, Zelda, you mustn't take that as discouragement!" Peach declared as Zelda struggled to breathe. "Really, you have _just _as much chance as Illia. More, because you're nicer than she is!"

Zelda pulled away after a moment. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Peach smiled. "He's completely clueless about girls! Really quite hopeless! I even flirted with him for a bit, we're in the same year, but I don't think it even registered to him! I mean, I'm fairly certain he's heterosexual..." Peach paused, evaluating for a moment, "Yes, quite certain. He's just a dork."

"...Oh." The talk did not make her feel much better.

"You won't know until you try," Nina offered, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Go on, offer him a cookie."

"Not with Illia standing _right there!_" Zelda protested, but her traitorous friends put the bag in her hands and all but shoved her out into the field toward him. By the time she recovered, it was too late: both he and Illia were looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Link asked as she struggled to find her feet.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine! I just tripped is all," she replied, resisting the urge to send a murderous glance behind her. She swore she could hear giggling back there.

"Zelda!" Link said, snapping his fingers. "I remember! We met the other day, outside school."

"Yeah!" Zelda said with a nervous laugh, glad he hadn't mentioned the exact circumstances of the meeting. "Anyway, I was just here for the barbecue and such. I didn't know you'd be here!"

"I'm just helping out with some of the games," he replied with another heart-melting smile-if a clueless one, Zelda had to admit. He really had no idea that the two girls standing on either side of him fancied him. "Maybe you'll come by and play some dodgeball?"

"Well, not really my thing," Zelda said quickly, having trouble imagining a worse scenario than tripping over her own feet in front of him repeatedly, trying to throw dodgeballs. "Um! Well, my friends are around here somewhere, but I've just been to the bake sale... want a cookie?"

"Oh, no thanks. I appreciate it, but I try not to eat sweets before doing any sports." He turned to the girl on his other side. "Illia?"

Illia's gaze drilled into Zelda, and Zelda realized that she knew. "No thanks," she said, her words short and sharp. "I've got to run, too. Lu and Jen are waiting for me."

"Sure. See you around," Link said. "Nice seeing you again, Zelda!"

"Yeah, you too," she said, then turned and hurried back to her friends before he could see her blush. Peach and Nina were giggling like mad scientists.

"Are you crazy!?" Zelda hissed, taking them by the shoulders and turning them away. "That could have been a disaster!"

"Please," Peach chortled, "if you spilt hot coffee all over that boy and then ran him over with a bicycle, he'd apologize and have forgotten it by the next day."

"I have to say, he _is_ pretty cute," Nina added, "but did he seriously refuse a cookie?"

Zelda was about to respond when a _red_ feeling hit her in the base of the skull, stopping her train of thought. She looked across the field and watched a distant pattern of shadow bugs swirl at the edges of the school property.

She and Peach exchanged glances. "Let's go find Samus," said Peach.


	6. AN AIR OF COMPETITION - PART 2

**AN AIR OF COMPETITION, PART 2**

Getting away from Nina was a challenge, but they managed it with an explanation involving a missing kitten, a 2nd cousin with royal connections, and "that time of month". The poor girl stood and waved a cluelessly as Peach and Zelda rushed off, promising to return shortly.

They didn't need to look for Samus, but found her headed for the Shade ahead of them, hand on her locket. She looked back and nodded, motioning for her girls to fall in behind her.

Zelda could feel an excited nervousness building up inside, accompanied by a spring in her step. She was stopped suddenly, however, by a hand on her shoulder. She squeaked in surprise.

"We'll take care of this one, honey," said Illia, jerking her chin back to where Lu and Jen Puff were also approaching. "Don't _trouble yourself_."

The last words were said with such venom that for a moment Zelda could only stare and gape, and by that time Illia was running toward the forming shade, the flowing white dress of her Magical Fighter garb coalescing around her body.

"Reckless as usual," Samus muttered, but slowed.

To her own surprise, Zelda felt anger overtake her anticipation as Illia drew back her bow and readied to fire. What did she think she was doing? Link didn't belong to her, and neither did this Shade!

"Zelda," Peach said, tone cautionary, and Zelda looked down at herself to see that she'd transformed. She caught her harp in her right hand and eyed the Shade as it finally became solid, thick-limbed and boxy.

"Come on! Let's go take care of it!" Zelda insisted, dashing past both Peach and Samus until she was only a few metres from Illia.

"Find your own Trophy!" Illia shouted, loosing an arrow. The bright projectile slammed into the Shade's shoulder and made it stumble-as well as zero in on Illia's position, and begin to charge.

"You wish!" Zelda called back, plucking the first string. The resulting vibration shoved Illia away as well as disorienting the Shade, causing its charge to bring it too far to the left to do any harm.

Illia recovered quickly and sank three arrows into the Shade's back. It gave a keening chatter, stumbling to halt and slumping to the earth. Zelda stepped forward, prepared to give the finishing blow, finger on the second string.

Lu Cario appeared out of nowhere and shot a blue sphere of energy straight into the Shade's throat, causing it to fall down dead on top of her but dissolve before it made impact. She looked back challengingly at Zelda as the shadow bugs turned to sparkles around her, then knelt to retrieve the trophy.

"Lu! What's the deal!?" Illia called, fists glowing with the same white light as her arrows. "I had that one!"

Lu gave her what was, even at a distance, clearly a look of disbelief. "No need to get on my case, your highness! You can have the next one. Fair game, you know?" she casually tossed the Trophy and caught it, then returned to her normal clothing and strolled back toward the festivities with Jen close behind. Illia shot Zelda one last glare before following.

Peach and Samus walked up to Zelda as she returned to her normal clothes as well. "Um, Zelda," Peach had time to say before Samus loomed over Zelda, her expression as dark as the shadow she cast overtop the smaller girl.

"We are a team," Samus articulated, causing Zelda to shrink back with the intensity of her glare. "You go running into fights without us, and we can't protect you. You're a Magical Fighter, you're not invincible. Do you understand?"

"Y-yeah," Zelda said, eyes suddenly filling with tears. "I'm sorry, I know it was stupid! I just thought..."

Samus held her gaze for a long moment, then sighed. "It's fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to get angry." She took a few steps back and the anger on her face melted, replaced by a kind of weariness. "I guess that was uncalled for, too. You're new to this. It's just important that you never underestimate the Shades."

"Okay, got it. No more running in alone," Zelda declared, saluting. Peach looked cautiously at Samus' face and then, apparently seeing some kind of admission, rushed towards Zelda with a relieved giggle.

"Well, no harm done! We're all in one piece. We can head back to the barbecue now, right?"

Head back they did, quickly regrouping with Nina and apologizing for the absence. The day wore on and they visited all of the different booths, then finally sat down to lunch on the grass once it was served. Zelda was about to take a huge bite of a deliciously crispy-looking hamburger when another _red_ feeling abruptly hit her. Her appetite disappeared.

She exchanged worried looks with Samus and Peach over their lunch. Another, so soon?

This one had formed at the outskirts of the school, near the street, and they tracked it down before long. Lu's team hadn't yet arrived, so the three girls transformed and readied themselves.

The forming Shade looked different from any of the others they'd encountered before. It had a thin and angular appearance, with long silvery claws tipping its hands. It moved in a jerky fashion, trailing shadow bugs behind it.

"Careful. This one is strong," Samus said. "Zelda, let's see if you can capture it like you did with that healer. Peach and I will take care of the rest."

"Got it!" Zelda said, raising her harp as the Shade focused in on them and lurched in their direction. She plucked the second string and the Shade was caught neatly in the web of vibrations, jerking to an unsteady halt.

Peach hopped in and smacked the poor creature hard enough to send it sailing away. Samus used it as target practice as it caught itself midair and began to lurch back toward them, Samus' shots hardly seeming to slow it down. At least, until one of its arms fell off, dissolving into a mass of Shadow Bugs.

"Don't give it any room to attack," Samus said, and the girls moved into a triangle formation: Zelda in the middle and behind, Samus and Peach standing in front, on either side of her.

They were preparing for another strike when a figure in white materialized and shot it from behind, making it whirl back.

"You girls are going to get yourselves hurt, interrupting a fight like this!" Samus yelled.

"No girls, just me," Illia replied, levelling her bow and loosing two more shots on the Shade. It continued its lopsided drift toward her, one functional set of claws poised to strike.

"This thing is way too dangerous to take on alone!" Peach called, hopping forward a bit.

"For you, maybe!" Illia replied, leaping far above the Shade's head and shooting another arrow of light beneath her and into the back of its neck.

Samus muttered something unflattering. "All right, we've got to go help her out. Just try not to hit her while she's jumping around like a maniac."

Team Samus joined the fray shortly, Peach getting in close and laying on the creature to stagger it while Samus joined in with Illia's peppering. Zelda managed to get herself into a position where she could hit the Shade and none of the Magical Fighters, and did so using the second string.

Illia dropped down near to Zelda and released a shot that sheared perilously close to Zelda's harp on its way to the Shade.

"What is your problem!?" Zelda demanded, sidestepping and releasing another funnel of vibration. The Shade dodged into Peach's weapon.

"What is my problem? People like you, taking things away that are supposed to be mine," the other girl snapped. "Stay away from Link, and stay away from these Shades."

Zelda turned to face her, face reddening in anger. "What on earth gives you the right to claim any of that? First of all, you're trying to steal this Shade from us-we were already fighting it! And second of all, you've been after Link all summer, so what's it to you if someone else is interested after he doesn't notice you for_ months?_"

Illia lowered her bow, free hand clenched into a fist. "_Me _stealing? That's rich! I think you've got it the wrong way around, _sweetheart_. You-"

"Zelda! Heads up!" Peach shouted, and Zelda suddenly remembered what they were doing. Whipping around, she saw the Shade lurching toward her and Illia, looking worn-down but fully capable of laying on some serious hurt with its remaining claws.

By the time she'd returned her harp to a ready position, it was almost on top of her. From the corner of her eye she could see Peach and Samus rushing toward her. Samus was bellowing for Illia to get out of the way-she was blocking Samus' shots.

Zelda plucked the first string. The Shade staggered slightly. In a panic, she strummed all three, twice, stumbling back and out of the way. The vibrations confused it, but in a moment it was on her again, chasing her like a spider bearing down on an insect.

"On three, we'll hit it with all we've got!" Samus called. Zelda hovered her finger over the second string as the shape of the leering Shade filled her vision. "One! Two! _Three!_"

Zelda slowed it marginally and Peach threw her weapon, catching the Shade full-on in the side. At the same time, Samus released what appeared to be a larger, charged shot from her cannon. To Zelda's surprise, she also saw one of Illia's light arrows in the mix as the creature took the shots, stopped in its tracks, and then promptly dissolved, turning to shadow and then light as it died. Zelda struggled to calm her breathing and heart rate as the small golden Trophy clattered to the earth.

Without a word, Illia transformed back to normal and hurried away.

"Are you okay?" Peach asked, hurrying over to Zelda. She lifted her weapon again from where it rested on the ground, wincing. "Oh, that wasn't so smart of me. I'm sorry baby, I shan't throw you again."

"Yeah, fine…" Zelda said. "It was a close call, though."

"I'm surprised it managed to sneak up on you," Samus commented with an arched eyebrow. "I'm sure it would have stayed back if you'd kept hitting it-something to keep in mind next time."

"...yeah," Zelda muttered. "It was my fault. Illia's been on my case because of something stupid, and I got distracted by her."

Peach laid an arm across Zelda's shoulders. "Well, I can imagine why she'd be a bit upset. You have a right to like who you like, honey, but she likes him too, and you should try to be the better person here. Link is not a french fry to be fought over by a couple of seagulls; he can and will make his own decisions. In the end, you and Illia squabbling over him is likely to have zero impact on those decisions. You know?"

Zelda nodded, blushing again.

"Yeah, and you can't let that sort of thing affect you when you're fighting," Samus added. "Illia may be insufferable, but if you're rivalry is affecting your personal safety, it's time to step away." She sighed. "I wish I could say 'boy problems' were not one of the leading causes of Magical Fighter screwups, but, well… there are a lot of teenage girls involved."

Peach giggled. "Two Shades in one day, what a workout! We should get back to Nina now, the poor girl probably thinks we've abandoned her."

"Two Shades, and not even a source of negative energy nearby," Samus muttered, surveying the area as the three headed back to the barbecue. "There's been more Shades these past to weeks then I've ever seen in such a short period. I'm starting to think something might be up."

"Well," Peach said, catching her by the wrist, "we will worry about that _after_ we finish lunch, if you don't mind. Zelda, slow down!"

"_Every single one. Dead."_

_The collection of low-level Shades was incapable of answering, considering that, combined, their intelligence might have reached the level of a small, brain-damaged spider._

"_What, just sitting there? You poor dears, so hungry, I'm sure. Yet for all the times I've sent you down there, what have you got? A couple nibblings of happiness, maybe, a bite of triumph or a taste of comfort. And then, promptly, death, because some people don't know proper courtesy when another is eating."_

_One of the Shades leered toward a large semicircle in the wall, which writhed and glowed with disturbing energies. The speaker called it back with a leisurely hand motion._

"_All right, you've had your turn, poor useless things. I've got a better idea. It's time, I think, to take care of this problem at its source."_


	7. FROM THE DARKNESS - PART 1

_**(author's note: Many apologies for skipped updates! If all goes well, I should begin updating every monday again starting today. Thanks for reading!)**_

**FROM THE DARKNESS, PART 1**

Zelda zipped up her overnight bag and sat down on her bed, legs crossed. She had to count out all of the things she needed to bring on her fingers: toothbrush, hairbrush, pyjamas… should she bother to bring any makeup? Would it make her look any more mature in front of her new friends?

As sad as it was to admit it, she was nervous. Zelda eyed her bag uncertainly. It might not seem like it, but a sleepover with her new friends was a big deal! Hanging out together outside of school could be entirely different. Samus and Peach might act differently. What was Peach's house even like?

Zelda stood up and shook her head. Now was not the time to doubt! Sure, Nina wouldn't be there, and Zelda really felt she connected the most with Nina out of her new friends-Nina had been asked, but it looked like she was visiting family over the weekend.

Feeling pressured, Zelda had even carefully planned out her outfit, determined to make a good impression. What would Peach's family be like? Would they expect utter politeness or be more laid-back? Too much to worry about!

As a test (and seriously considering any excuse for delay) Zelda took out her phone and texted Peach: _sry_. _might be a bit late!_

Before she'd even put the phone down, Peach replied: _it's ok! Just come by whenever you can! I baked cake! :)_

Zelda forcibly attempted to relax, staring at proof that the sleepover would be fun and relaxing. Samus and Peach probably wouldn't judge her! Still, she slipped her little case of makeup into the bag. She didn't typically wear it, but… well, she knew that Peach did, and she wanted to fit in.

Slinging her bag around her arm, Zelda hurried down the stairs and headed for the door. "Grandpa, I'm going out!" she called.

"Where?" came the answer from the living room.

Zelda ran over and poked her head in, dismayed. "Grandpa! I told you this morning!"

The elderly man shrugged. "I can't be expected to listen to everything you go on about, my girl. I certainly heard you yell something about your friends, but you looked so distressed that I wasn't sure I got out of it what I was supposed to."

Zelda flailed in additional distress. "Grandpa, I'm going to my friend Peach's house for a sleepover! I told you. Do you want me to stay home? Because I can stay home!"

Her grandfather chuckled. "No need. Go on ahead, I can see you're all packed. Can I expect you back by dinner tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'll just be walking over to Peach's house," Zelda said, turning to go, then pausing. "You're sure you don't want me here? I'll miss our show!"

"I'll fill you in. Go have fun," her grandpa said, completely missing the hint.

"All right! Bye!" Zelda closed the door and headed out into the evening air. Well, truth be told, she _did_ want to go. All this anxiety was just... her being her.

Peach had given her directions to her house, and it was surprisingly easy to find, by virtue of being an essential _castle_ at the end of a road. Zelda stared up at it in amazement. Peach's family must be rich! The house was a veritable mansion, with three floors and prominent glass windows. A large backyard surrounded by a white picket fence could be seen behind the house as well.

Zelda hesitated, wondering she'd found the right house, but Peach ran outside and down the porch before she could start to doubt.

"Zelda!" Peach cried, running over and enveloping the younger girl in a hug. "Welcome! Sammy's already here, I can just tell this is going to be amazing!" A big white dog bounded out of the door after Peach, and began to excitedly bounce around them. "No, Yoshi, back inside!" Peach cried.

Zelda laughed and pulled away. "Oh, look at him! He just wants a hug, too. Hi, Yoshi!" The dog wagged its tail so hard its entire rear end wiggled, and Zelda giggled and knelt to pet him. Before long the two were rolling in the grass together, Yoshi nibbling playfully at Zelda's fingers.

Peach laughed, and Zelda immediately came back to herself and leapt to her feet, brushing grass off of her. "Uhm! So, where should I put my things?" she exclaimed.

"Oh, just in the front room! No need to be embarrassed, I think Yoshi loves you!" Indeed, the dog stuck right next to Zelda as Peach guided her up the porch stairs and into an extravagant reception room. Zelda tried not to stare, but she would never have expected Peach's home to be so grand! The design was impeccable as well, with pink accents every so often that suggested Peach's own involvement.

Peach had set up a kind of enormous bed across the living room floor, with blankets and pillows and space for sleeping bags. "Sammy, Zelda's here!" Peach called happily into the room, placing Zelda's bag down.

A thumbs-up appeared from among the sheets. "Good! There's no way I'm finishing all this cake by myself. It's delicious, by the way."

Peach giggled as if ridiculously pleased, and Zelda already began to feel more at home. She flopped down onto the mess and saw Samus already in pyjamas; a white tank top and loose pants patterned with the Batman logo. There was a small assortment of snacks on the other side of the blanket pile, including a wonderful-looking cake with strawberries across the top. It had a few pieces cut out.

The night was everything Zelda had hoped for and nothing that she'd been afraid of. They chatted and giggled for the first few hours, then as it got dark they popped in a movie and settled down to watch. Zelda didn't end up seeing any members of Peach's family-evidently they were staying some other place for the night-though the girls and Yoshi were more than enough company.

The hours marched on and by the time they were on their third movie, Zelda's eyes were drooping shut. Peach was already snoring softly at her end of the pile, and even Samus looked about to drop off. Zelda curled up in her sleeping bag next to Yoshi and slowly drifted off to the soft noise of the TV.

She soon began to stir as strange dreams plagued her. She wasn't normally one for nightmares, and this could hardly be considered as a nightmare anyway, just a prevailing feeling that something-somehow-wasn't right. The colour red prevailed, and unnerving images appeared to her as she slept: sorrowful faces, glowing orbs, a cruel smile on dark blue lips.

She jerked awake when Yoshi gave several sharp, loud barks.

She scrambled back, getting tangled in the blankets, as a loud noise and bright flash of light further invaded her sleep. Samus fired again and Zelda's vision focused around the blast, seeing the Hunter standing upright with two black figures on either side. The figures held great silver blades in their arms, and the blast from Samus' cannon just seemed to glance off of them.

"_Samus!" _Zelda cried, flailing to her feet and doing the first thing that came to her mind-which, for some reason, was throwing her sleeping bag at the nearest figure. Shadow Bugs scattered as the figure backed up, trying to dislodge it.

Peach slowly stood, incredibly still half-asleep. "Please replace the gerbils," she muttered, squinting at Zelda.

Zelda stepped back, unable to think straight enough to reach for her ring. "Peach! Shades!"

The Princess finally became aware and shook her head, producing a wild halo of blonde hair. "What-! Oh! What on earth!?"

"We're moving outside!" Samus called, already in full awake mode. "Back, back, go!"

The three girls ran, still barefoot and in pyjamas. The two Shades followed, blue light from the TV gleaming off of their blades. Yoshi growled and barked, but stayed far on the other side of the room with his tail in between his legs.

Samus shoved Peach and Zelda out in front of her and jumped over their heads, silhouetted against a crescent moon in her Hunter garb. Her hair was still loose and flowed out behind her in a sheet. The Shades ignored the first two girls and focused entirely on Samus, following her arc through the sky and landing to attack.

By this time Peach had transformed as well, and was clutching her weapon in both hands. Zelda forced herself to come to her senses and reached for her ring, which she never felt comfortable removing, and so had taken to wearing it asleep. Good thing, too.

She instantly felt more awake as soon as she'd transformed into her Magical Fighter clothes. She held her harp and aimed carefully, worried that she'd catch Samus in any attacks she might use.

"Let's make this a little more fair!" Peach cried, leaping for one Shade while Samus concentrated on the other. One smack from Peach's weapon knocked the Shade back a few steps, though Samus' weapon didn't seem as effective on them.

"Try to hold it in place for me, Zelda!" Peach called, and Zelda obliged, aiming a funnel of vibrations at the Shade Peach was fighting. It quickly moved away, however, apparently unaffected.

"We aren't doing any damage!" Samus warned as the Shades tried to regroup around her. "I've never seen this type before. They're really advanced. There's got to be a way to break through their shields…"

"Try whaling on them until they break!" Peach suggested, and proceeded to follow her own advice with gusto. Even if her attacks didn't do any actual damage, the force behind them still sent the Shades reeling.

As Peach and Samus fought, Zelda was struck by her own uselessness. Surely, she should be able to help in this situation! She was a Magical Fighter too! The others probably thought she was being useless, just sitting in the corner out of the way of the fight.

_All right, _she thought, then aimed and plucked the first string, which seemed to be the more destructive. To her horror, the Shades were immune, but Samus and Peach both staggered.

The Shades attacked with their blades, utilizing the moment of weakness. Thankfully, Samus had the presence of mind to grab Peach and leap backwards, out of reach.

"Careful, Zelda!" Samus called. Zelda clutched her harp in horror, unable to reply. "Anyway!" Samus continued, "I see it now! The pink orbs at their center! That's where we have to strike!"

Zelda squinted at the Shades and saw that Samus was right-under their skin of swirling Shadow Bugs, one could vaguely see a pink-purple orb in their chests. As they strode forward, there were points when the Shadow Bugs cleared around the orbs, leaving them vulnerable to attack.

Samus took one quick shot and hit the orb dead-on. The results were fantastic, spraying Shadow Bugs everywhere and instantly killing the Shade.

"All right, we've got this!" Peach cried. "I'll stun it. You take it out!"

She avoided a swipe from the Shade's blades and laid into it from the side with her weapon. Samus finished it off with another well-aimed shot, and the Shade dissolved. Two Trophies dropped to the grass.

Peach glanced around to make sure everything was safe, then quickly began to pat down her hair. "Ack! What… what happened? Did Shades actually _come after _us? In the middle of the night?"

"Not us," Samus pointed out, plucking a hair tie from her wrist and wrangling her hair into its usual strict ponytail. "Me. They ignored the two of you, even when you were attacking them."

"But why?" Zelda asked, hurrying over to them. "I thought… I thought Shades just showed up, and we had to stop them. These ones tried to attack you in your sleep!"

"It isn't normal," Samus agreed, looking up at the night sky. "In fact… I sense something else that isn't normal. I think I know where these Shades came from."


End file.
